Here We Go Again
by DaisyPotter7926
Summary: Alfred Jones and Arthur Kirkland were childhood friends. One day Alfred breaks the news to Arthur that he's moving away and doesn't know if or when he'll be returning. Ten years later the Jones family returns (with a Canadian), and what'll happen when Alfred realizes that Arthur has changed in more than one way? Punk!England. USUK. Other small ships. AU. RIP HIATUS I'M BACK BITCHES
1. Prologue Chapter One: Whoa Wait What?

**PROLOGUE:**

_Five Years Old_

"Alfred! Stop throwing mud!" The five-year-olds were in the Kirkland's backyard, playing in the patch of dirt that Mr. Kirkland could never seem to grow grass over. It's a hot London summer day, and just cool glasses of lemonade didn't suffice the heat. So the young boys took it upon themselves to find a different option.

Dragging the hose over to the dried earth and dousing it with water, they easily made a mud hole. Ridding their shirts and shoes they quickly dirtied themselves in the cooling mess. Arthur Kirkland was now supporting a nice dollop of mud on top of his head. The thick mud dripped through his blond hair and continued down his back.

Alfred Jones clutched at his waist as he was sent into a fit of giggles. A pair of emerald eyes glared at him. "You git." Suddenly Alfred was tackled backwards. Alfred's head was shoved into a glob of mud and soon his hair was equally, if not more, as mucky as Arthur's.

"Arthur! That is no way to behave." Mrs. Kirkland warned. She sighed as she went back to conversing with the other adults about how the boys will soon start kindergarten.

"Alfred has so much energy; I'm not sure how the teachers will be able to handle him." Mrs. Jones shook her head. They sat on the back patio under an umbrella, out of the sun. "I doubt we could keep him under control if he didn't have Arthur." She sipped her wine cooler.

"Yeah, that kid is like a battery that never runs out." Mr. Jones shifted his beer in his hands. The condensation of the bottle left a trail of water on the surface of the table.

"Sometimes we wish Arthur was like that." Arthur's father chuckled. "He never goes out of his way; unless it's for Alfred, that is." They continued to watch the boys play in the mud until they were both too worn out to continue their festivities. Alfred shuffled out of the pit and up to his mother, going in for a hug.

"OOH nO no no, honey. Have daddy go spray you off." She ushered her son over to the two men waiting with the hose, Arthur followed not far behind. They shivered under the cold spray and the grown men chuckled to themselves. Their mothers gathered their son's rumpled clothing, and bid each other a goodbye and a thanks for their neighbor's company.

"M' cold daddy!" Alfred shivered as Mr. Kirkland turned the hose off. The boys had their arms crossed and both looked wet and exhausted.

"Well, do you wanna crawl into bed with your jammies after a warm bath?" Alfred pouted his bottom lip and nodded, wiping his eye with the back of his hand. Mr. Jones bent down and scooped his son into his arms. "Thanks for the beer, Jim."

Mr. Kirkland waved and picked up his own son. They had just turned to go into the house when Arthur abruptly screamed out, "WAIT! Daddy! I need to say goodbye to Al!" His father sighed and looked over his shoulder to see that Alfred had done the same.

The two fathers walked back towards each other and turned around, so that their sons were face to face. "Goodnigh', Art. See ya tomorrow?" The small boy held up his fist.

"Tomorrow." Arthur met his fist with his own and they both made small _"boom"_ noises. Their arms then fell down and their fathers walked back to their homes.

_Seven Years Old_

"What? No! That's so gross." Alfred and Arthur rode on their bikes down the damp street as they made their way back home. It was the stormy month of April, and considering they lived in the suburbs of London, rain everyday wasn't anything unusual. School had just got out and the pouring rain lightened up just enough to make it home without being completely soaked through.

"Yeah man! I'm tellin' ya. Ivan just _ate _the bug. I told him that he would be a sissy if he didn't." Alfred's smirk was complemented with his dimples as he remembered the day at recess. They turned down Winchmore Hill Road and slowed their pedaling. Arthur's raincoat squeaked every time his legs would brush up against the plastic, filling the thoughtful silence. "Why would he be a sissy if he didn't eat the bug?"

Alfred furrowed his brows and slightly pouted his bottom lip. "I don't know…" He said, honestly confused. Light raindrops dampened the top of Alfred's shoulders, making his Patriots jersey appear darker.

"Would you call me a sissy if I didn't eat a bug?" Arthur often worried about his and Alfred's friendship. Alfred was so popular and was constantly surrounded by his peers at school. He was always first pick in P.E. class, even though he wasn't the best football player (soccer that is). Arthur only really had two close friends, Alfred and Kiku. Kiku was the quiet foreign exchange student from Japan and they quickly bonded over comics and superheroes.

But Alfred and Arthur grew up together. The Jones moved to London only when Alfred was a couple months old and their parents had them together almost everyday for a playdate. They lived directly across the street from each other. "No, of course not. Like you said, eating bugs is gross." Alfred stopped at the curb of his driveway. "Do you wanna come in and play some Mario?" Another reason why Alfred was popular. He had the only game console in their class.

As much as Arthur loved Nintendo he had chores to finish. Alfred nodded and grimaced. He secretly looked up to Arthur. He was always so confident in what he says or thinks. Arthur was his only friend that told him how it is. He wasn't discouraged of Alfred's popularity when it came to expressing his opinion.

They bid each other a goodbye with a fist bump, and the little _"boom"_ that they had always done. Alfred drug his bike into the garage and walked in through the washroom's door. His mother greeted him as he stalked through the kitchen to grab a snack. "How was your day, hon?" She chirped.

"Fine, I guess." He shrugged, popping a grape in his mouth.

"Why was it just _fine_?" She mocked. Mrs. Jones sat at the kitchen table doing, what seemed to be, scrapbooking. A variety of pictures spread across the grain of the wooden table along with decorative paper and a thick book.

Alfred sighed. "I wanted Arthur to come over and play some video games but he has _chooooores_." He moved over to the bookcase to pick out a game. He decided to go with Mario 64 and pick up where he and Arthur left off the other day. Plopping himself down on the carpeted floor he blew into the cartridge and inserted it into the console.

His mother eyed him from the table and promptly rolled her eyes. "You have responsibilities also, Alfred."

"I know but… whatever." The Mario theme song filled his ears and blocked out his train of thought about his best friend.

Across the street the native Londoner was doing dishes and listening to his little brother giggle while watching a kid's program on the telly. Arthur looked over his shoulder at Peter who was spread out on his belly. Arthur loved his brother, even though he was a bit obnoxious most of the time, but he just reminded him of Alfred.

Once finished with the dishes Arthur went upstairs and started on his homework. He cracked open _Because Of Winn Dixie _and read a couple chapters. He didn't particularly care for the American novel but it wasn't half bad. After a bathroom break and dinner it was late and the grey sky had turned dark. _"Pttst." _A crackle of static rang from under Arthur's bed. _"PTTST. Arthur." _

Arthur rolled his eyes and grabbed the walkie talkie from under his bed frame. He slipped from his bed and over to his window seat. Moving the dark blue curtains away he peered across the street to see Alfred waving. "What?" He spoke into the small black device.

"_Your lights been on for a while and it's kinda late, what are you doing?" _Alfred bought the walkies on a whim when they went into town with their mothers one day. He thought that they could use them and _"be like James Bond or somethin.'" _Arthur sighed and paid for his half of the set.

"I've been reading that book for class." Alfred's room was dark but he could see the outline of his figure in the window thanks to the help of a street lamp. They both had their rooms on the second floor. Arthur's house had a rose trellis up the side that ended just below his window. Alfred had threatened multiple times that someday he would climb up it like in the old movies and save Arthur if he was ever grounded.

"_OH! Are you at the part where Winn Dixie dies?!" _

"WHAT?!" Arthur screeched. He heard laughing from the other end of the talkie and quickly realized what Alfred had done. "You… twit." He sighed in relief leaning back on the window sill.

"_Ahh… sorry. I couldn't resist. But you shoulda known that I haven't even started the book." _

"We're supposed to have it finished by this Friday." It was already Tuesday and Arthur wasn't even half way through. He could practically hear Alfred shrug and roll his eyes.

"_Even if I'm not done you'll fill me in on it right?" _It was Alfred's turn to hear the eye roll coming from Arthur. Somehow Alfred had lived in England his whole life and spoke with an American accent. Arthur had told him multiple times how to "properly" pronounce words in a British dialect but Alfred never remembered them.

Alfred watched Arthur move away from the window and disappear. "Where'd ya go?" He asked. His lights suddenly turned out and he saw nothing but the orange-ish tinge of light off of his curtains from the street light below. Feeling a small twinge of hurt that Arthur left without saying goodnight he lowered his talkie.

Suddenly Arthur was back at the window. _"Sorry, my parents told me to go to bed." _He heard him say in a hushed tone.

"That's alright! I thought you actually left me!"

"_Oh, please. I have tried on multiple occasions to leave you, but you just never seem to get the message…" _Alfred sensed the sarcasm immediately and smiled widely to himself. This is what he loved about Arthur.

"Heeeeey we all know that in the end _you _would leave _me, _right? I can't survive without you Art."

"_I told you to never call me that." _

"Well I am so shut up."

They both smiled to themselves and sat in a comfortable silence for a moment or two.

"Hey Art- … _Arthur_." Alfred finally spoke.

"_Yeah?" _

"You'd… you'd never leave me right?"

He heard Arthur sigh through the tiny speaker. A serious moment between them was rare. _"Of course not. You're my best friend. Best friends last forever." _

"Yeah… yeah they do."

"_Alright then, I suppose I should go to bed, seeing as my parents told me to ten minutes ago-" _

"OOOHhHOHOhoh the hoRROR." Alfred exaggerated. He could feel Arthur's glare across the street and giggled. "Anyways." When he finally calmed down he held up his fist to the cool glass. "Nigh' Art."

Arthur sighed again, when will that American ever learn? _"Goodnight." _He pressed his knuckles to the window. _"Boom."_

_Nine Years Old_

Alfred's been acting weird all week and it was starting to worry Arthur. Eventually the frustration growing inside of him started overflowing. Alfred had been avoiding him and wouldn't even look him in the eye anymore. "Alfred." This was the first time Arthur had ever called Alfred on their walkie talkies, it was always Alfred signaling him.

"_Yeah dude?" _

"Meet me in Grovelands in a half hour." Grovelands Park was a couple of blocks away from their houses, and they often hung out in a particular spot.

"_But I haveta-" _

"No. Be there." And with that Arthur turned off his talkie and went to get dressed. Across the street Alfred sighed and knit his brows together. He's been meaning to bring it up to Arthur but whenever he opened his mouth to inform him his throat would close around the words. Alfred would always meet with those green eyes and ridiculously large eyebrows and everything that was just Arthur.

He pulled his converse on and sat on his bed, with his face in his hands. The London months of June were mild but the days felt longer than ever. Seeing that it's been twenty minutes already Alfred got up and slumped downstairs with a heavy heart. Dodging the boxes that littered his house he made his way to the garage. Seeing that his bike wasn't packed up yet he dragged it from the garage to the driveway and hopped on.

Peddling his nerves out and making his legs burn he made it to Grovelands. He stepped off his bike and walked it through the paths until he got to his and Arthur's tree; it was this old oak tree that had the perfect amount of branches to climb. Leaning his bike up against the trunk of the tree and looking up he saw a pair of legs dangling.

The sun was setting and the sky was clear with and orange-pink glow. Gripping the bark of the tree, Alfred climbed several branches until he was eye level with Arthur. Sitting on a branch opposite of him he looked up at his best friend.

Arthur was looking to his right at the sunset. "Arthur I-" Alfred began.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Arthur's voice was hard and his eyes cold as he brought them to Alfred's.

Alfred looked down at his shoes in shame. "I'm… I'm so sorry. I just- I didn't know how to tell ya."

"Yeah well…" Arthur's voice trailed off. He swung his leg over the branch so he was straddling the tree. He picked at the trunk's bark where he and Alfred carved their initials into last summer.

"It wasn't my decision… well that's what my parents told me."

Arthur looked up at him with anger in his eyes. "Your parents? What did they have to do with this?"

Alfred pouted his lower lip in confusion and narrowed his eyes. "They… wait. What are you talking about?"

"The fact that you don't want to be mates anymore."

Alfred released the breath he didn't know he was holding. "That's not true. I'd never want to not be friends with you!" Alfred bounced over to the next branch so he sat between Arthur and the trunk of the tree.

"Then why have you been avoiding me all week?" Arthur's mind was flooded with confusion and his eyes grew wide with wonder.

"I… I'm…" Alfred looked down at his hands and swallowed. Bringing his gaze to meet Arthur's. "I'm moving."

Arthur held his breath and it seemed as if the whole world stopped turning on it's axis. The air between them was still and nothing could be heard besides the light rustle of leaves as the soft wind blew through them. The pink light of the sky made Alfred's features look softer as his nervous eyes stared at Arthur, waiting for a reaction.

Leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Alfred he felt his best friend lose the tension in his body. "Where?"

"America."

"Why?"

"Apparently I have a brother." Arthur leaned back and looked surprised. Alfred continued, "Yeah. My dad knew someone before my mom back in highschool and they had a kid together. He didn't know until a couple weeks ago though… cause' she's dead now and the kid doesn't have any family."

Arthur nodded. "Are you coming back?" Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes but he blinked them back.

"I… I don't know. Apparently the kid is really good at hockey, and they want him to finish school in the U.S." Seeing as they were still in primary school Arthur figured they wouldn't be seeing each other for awhile. "I don't wanna go." Alfred shook his head.

"I don't want you to go." Alfred's eyes met with Arthur's again and he stumbled on finishing his sentence. "I mean, who's going to watch Doctor Who with me?"

Alfred giggled and pushed Arthur's shoulder. "Shut up. You're gonna miss me more than you think." They sat in a comfortable silence and watched as the sky turned purple. "We're leaving in a week."

Arthur sighed. "Well in that case." He hopped down to the soft grass in one fluid motion and watched as Alfred climbed his way down. "Let's make this the most memorable week of our lives."

Laughing, Alfred got on his bike and Arthur stood on the back pegs, gripping Alfred's shoulders so he wouldn't fall. They rode around till dark, laughing and joking. Arthur went to bed with a smile, but then quickly remembered that they only had a week left together. Arthur and his best friend.

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"Alfred! Come down so we can say goodbye to the Kirklands!" Alfred's mother shouted up the empty stairwell, her voice echoing through the house. Alfred sighed and took a final look around his bare bedroom. Arthur had joked earlier that it was the cleanest he's ever seen the room, which was true. His walls that were once covered with posters of cars and football teams, now gleamed painfully white at him. His closet was bare, and he even seen some parts of his room that he's never seen before… like the floor of the closet.

Slipping down the stairs and out of the house without a single glance back he walked across the street with his mom and dad. Walking into the Kirkland's house for the last time. "Oh, Alfred darling, Arthur's in his room." Mrs. Kirkland directed him upstairs. Without knocking Alfred entered his best friend's room.

Arthur was sitting on his window seat, staring out across the road at Alfred's window while hugging his Union Jack pillow. Alfred closed the door behind him and went to sit across from him. They both sat for what seemed like seconds compared to the rest of the world. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Shut up." Alfred chuckled at the familiar sarcasm.

"I'm gonna miss that the most I think." Arthur turned to face his best friend. Moving the red and blue pillow away, Alfred pulled his friend in for one of their final hugs. Arthur fisted Alfred's shirt and sniffed. The tears that he had been holding back were finally coming to the surface. "I lied."

"About what?" Arthur's voice cracked.

"I'm gonna miss this the most." Alfred closed his eyes as he let out his own tears. They held each other and cried silently. The summer weather was too beautiful for such a sad event. The sun was high in the midmorning sky and a few fluffy clouds were being blown across the blue, gently. Today, Alfred and Arthur would've been riding their bikes to town to get some ice cream, or going down to Grovelands to play some football.

They separated and wiped away their tears. "Here." Alfred stood up and started fumbling with something around his neck. Arthur followed Alfred to stand next to him. Alfred pulled out a chain with two dog tags on it and draped it around Arthur's neck. "I want you to have something to remember me by." Arthur looked down at the tags and studied them. "They were my grandpa's. He fought in World War II."

"Thank you, Alfred. I'll cherish them." Arthur tucked the tags in his shirt and looked around his room. "I want you to have something too." Alfred's look of excitement made Arthur nervous, he hadn't planned this. He moved over to his bookshelf and looked up and down the titles. Something caught his eye and he smirked to himself. Pulling the book out and handing it over to Alfred without a word he watched he gawk.

"Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Nope."

"I didn't even finish it." Alfred was holding _Because Of Winn Dixie_.

"Well maybe now you will." Alfred shook his head but couldn't hold back his smile for long. They both laughed. Mrs. Kirkland's voice interrupted their fit of giggles; calling for them both to come downstairs. They trotted down the stairs and outside where they were all gathered.

Arthur received a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Mrs. Jones and a handshake from Mr. Jones's. As the adults exchanged their final goodbyes, Alfred and Arthur walked back to each other's side.

Alfred held up his fist.

Arthur met his knuckles with his own.

"_Boom." _

**CHAPTER ONE: Whoa. Wait. What? **

Alfred held on tightly to a pan of brownies. "It's been so long since we've seen the Kirklands!" Mrs. Jones chirped happily as they walked across Winchmore Hill Road. "It'll be so nice to see them again!" He glanced up at the familiar windows where he spent countless nights staring at. The curtains were still dark blue.

Mrs. Jones turned on her heel as Mr. Jones rang the Kirkland's doorbell. "You look nervous, honey. Is something wrong?" Alfred shook his head and coughed. "Okay then." She turned back around.

"Yo bro, you okay?" Matthew elbowed his half-brother.

"Yeah. M' fine." He stared straight ahead. The brown door swung open to a slightly aged Mrs. Kirkland. Some squeals of excitement came from the middle-aged women as they hugged. Alfred wondered if he and Arthur would hug today. Why was Alfred so nervous? It was just his best friend that he hadn't seen in ten years. His chest clenched in a way that he's never experienced before.

"Oh! Alfred! When did you get so handsome?" Mrs. Kirkland smiled brightly and Alfred blushed. He had grown in the ten years they were gone… actually more like grown _a lot_. He was nearly six foot and puberty had clearly done him right. With broad shoulders and a well defined jaw line he could be considered _hot_. Mrs. Kirkland turned around. "Ah, Arthur! The Jones are here!"

This was it. The moment Alfred couldn't stop thinking about since he heard that they were moving back. His hand were sweaty and the tray of brownies felt as if they weighed a million pounds. What if Arthur didn't recognize him? Well, the only thing that's changed was that he got glasses. And the fact that he looks like a supermodel now.

Suddenly a young man about his own age appeared at the door. His hair was dyed three different colors and he had multiple piercings. Ripped black skinny jeans and a band tee that clung a little too snugly to his chest complemented his slim figure.

Then his eyes. Two emerald jewels stared into his own.

It was Arthur.

**Aye... wad up.**

**I saw this AU idea on tumblr from Lolo Loco . tumblr . com annnnnd I kinda ran with it. So please praise her and check out her account.  
**

**This is my first Hetalia fic, so please be gentle. USUK is one of my many ships in the fandom. I'm probably gonna continue with this so stay tuned. **

**Rated M for language and possible smut ;)**


	2. Chapter Two: Oh no… he's hoooot

**CHAPTER TWO: Oh no… he's **_**hoooot**_

"Uh… uh… uhhhhh." Alfred couldn't tear his eyes away from the most gorgeous being he has ever seen in his life. _'How… what…. when… oh sweet mother of god I am so fucked.' _He thought to himself. His and Arthur's eyes were glued together and it seemed as if neither of them could look away; until Matthew cleared his throat.

"AH! Oh. I think uh- that um… we lefT THE ovEN oN!" Alfred shoved the pan of brownies into his mothers hands and quickly made an escape. He heard Mattie say something behind him but his thoughts were too jumbled to pay any attention to them.

"What the hell, Alfie? What was that?" Matthew came up behind him. The Jones didn't move back into the same house. But they did find an available one just down the street. Keeping his fast pace and trying to catch his breath at the same time, Alfred's mind still spun at a million miles per second. "HEY." Matthew raised his voice sternly and grabbed Alfred's elbow.

Alfred winced at his brother's risen tone. Matthew didn't get angry a lot, and he was almost too quiet to ever hear in regular conversation. But when he did raise his voice it would send shivers of fear down anyone's back. Matthew and Alfred shared a lot of the same traits. They looked like they could practically be twins. Both with blond hair and glasses they were easily mixed up.

Alfred finally stopped and bit his bottom lip then turned to face Matthew. They were out of view of the Kirkland's house, but somehow he could still feel Arthur's green eyes staring into his. "Explain this to me. You two… you just froze in front of each other. Is there some kind of… I don't know… unresolved sexual tensio-"

"FOR GOD'S SAKE MATTIE. THE LAST TIME WE SAW EACH OTHER WE WERE TEN! WHY WOULD YOU THINK- … Goddamnit." Alfred crouched down in the middle of the street with his face in his hands.

"I'm just sayin' Alfie. He reacted the same way you did." Matthew pointed out.

"Really?"

"Really." Matthew's never seen his brother like this before. Sure there were some girls and even guys back in America, but he's never had the occasion to see his brother like this before. If he had to guess, he would say Alfred's a little love-struck. "Now. Let's go home, turn the oven off and then come back, alright?"

"Oven? What?" Alfred stuck out his bottom lip in confusion, while Matthew pulled him back up to his feet. They began the walk back home.

"That's what you sputtered out when you realized you were staring a bit longer than a normal human being." Matthew smiled to himself while Alfred's face went red from embarrassment. They walked the short journey home.

The Jones arrived yesterday morning and already had half of their boxes unpacked. They've been moving around so much that they had become quite the pros at unpacking and repacking their belongings. Of course Matthew and Alfred wouldn't be living with them anymore, they were just staying for a couple days to help them out a bit.

They're going to share an apartment closer to town. His parents moving back and into a different house made Alfred a little hurt inside. He had hoped that they could've gotten their old house back so… because… reasons. Although he'd never admit it, he wanted the old house back so he could always look to see if Arthur was home when he was visiting. But that's a bit creepy.

Deciding to move back to England wasn't a hard decision. Both Matthew and Alfred got scholarships back in America. A full ride to any college of their choice. Any University in London would do for Alfred, he didn't care. Going for a major in physics and a minor in engineering he let his parents pick the best college for him. Matthew was going into social studies and psychology and the same school offered both courses.

Having the moving truck drop their own boxes off at their apartment before going to their parents house made it a bit easier on them. Turning the oven "off" they turned around and walked back down the street. A deep rumble interrupted their comfortable silence. The sound of a growling engine accelerating in the distance made the road shake from where they were standing.

Peering down the street a shiny black motorcycle ripped past them as they stumbled to the side of the road. The rider wore a black leather jacket and a deep red colored helmet. They turned and watched as the motorcycle disappeared around the corner. Along with the extreme amount of black the motorist were wearing they sported a guitar case on their back.

Both still blinking in surprise, they continued towards the Kirklands. Not bothering with knocking (old habits die hard right?) Alfred just walked in through the front door. Finding all of the adults sitting around the kitchen table sipping tea Alfred noticed that Arthur was no where to be seen.

"Alfred hon! Oh, and this must be Matthew! It's so nice to meet you." Mrs. Kirkland eyed them both. Matthew responded politely as usual as Alfred kept looking around for Arthur.

"If you're looking for Arthur he's already left." Mr. Jones said as he might of been smirking into his cup of tea. Pulling out a chair next to his mom Alfred sat as a plate of cookies were scooted closer to him. Matthew sitting next to him they started a nice conversation about what they were planning for their future.

"That's such a good school! Yes, Arthur already finished his sixth form and college for his music." **(AN: Sixth form is like extra schooling for certain tests you can take. As an American I had to research this, so sorry if I misunderstood #BlameWikipedia.) **Alfred's attention was immediately gained at the mention of Arthur's name.

"What?" Alfred asked.

"Well if you weren't so busy _turning the oven off _you might of heard it right from Arthur instead of us." Alfred's mother eyed her son carefully. "But if want to know…" She trailed off. He stared at her waiting for someone to continue.

"As you know already Arthur was in piano lessons when you were still here." Mr. Kirkland started. "And when you left he seemed to have a lot of free time and he didn't quite to know what to do with himself. His music teacher recommended that he expand his musical talents. So he picked up guitar, saxophone, vocals and that other one…"

"Bass." Mrs. Kirkland spoke.

"Ah yes, thank you dear. So with all of those instruments under his belt he did quite well in musical studies. Even traveled the world a bit." He sipped his tea while Alfred's mind spun. _'So that guy on the motorcycle… that was probably Arthur. Oh god I'm really fucked now.'_

"Humor me Mr. Kirkland." Matthew spoke. "Does Arthur own a motorcycle?"

"Yes, he does. How did you know?"

"Just a lucky guess." Matthew's eyes slid to Alfred's and a tiny smirk tugged at the ends of his lips. He was sooooo gonna kill Mattie later.

"After what happened to Peter, Arthur sort of… changed." Mrs. Kirkland stared into her tea cup. Mrs. Jones rubbed her shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look. Alfred knew that _something _happened to Arthur's little brother after they left, but he never knew what. The Jones had moved all over America that it was hard to keep in touch with the Kirklands.

"I don't understand." Matthew tilted his head to the side. Alfred kicked him under the table.

"No it's fine, honey." Mrs. Kirkland smiled sadly. "The summer after you left Peter got hit by a car." Alfred's eyes widened. "He received some pretty severe head trauma, and it left him deaf. He was in the hospital for some time… but he's completely recovered now." She smiled.

"So… do you all know sign language now?" Alfred asked.

"Yes. It's easier to learn than you think. Arthur was the most eager to learn it actually, I think that he didn't want Peter to be alone during the transition." Mr. Kirkland explained. "But I think it was about a month after Peter got home from the hospital that Arthur started… _dabbling _in some new activities." Mr. Kirkland chose his words very carefully.

"I'm sure you noticed, Alfred, that Arthur doesn't look like the type to wear sweater vests anymore." Mrs. Kirkland giggled and smiled sweetly. "But we accept him no matter what he does. As long as it's safe."

"You're so accepting of him. I don't know how I would feel if Alfred started putting holes in his face." Alfred's mother put her hand to her chest.

"Oh believe us. We didn't go down without a fight." Mr. Kirkland nodded to himself. "I swear that kid was _this close _to making us go insane." He sighed and looked off into the distance. "But one day he came home with his hair all colorful and holes in his jeans and we just knew we shouldn't push him too hard to be like we imagined him to be."

Everyone nodded around the table and sipped whatever they were drinking. Alfred rested his head in his palm and thought while everyone started talking about the weather. While Alfred was going to pep rallies and football practice Arthur was becoming a total badass. Hopefully the next time they meet he'll be able to actually form complete sentences.

Maybe.

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Arthur watched as the boy with the bright blue eyes who had turned into a man that he couldn't recognize anymore walk away. _'How could I think that someone has sexy shoulder blades?' _He thought to himself.

"Oh right. The oven. I better go with him. He doesn't do well with_ hot things_." The unfamiliar blond man quickly glanced at Arthur and turned around into a jog.

"They're so weird sometimes! Arthur! Look at you! You've become such a young man!" Arthur let Mrs. Jones pinch his cheeks and he couldn't help but smile. The woman was practically his second mother.

"Please come in." He gestured them inside, holding the door open. They thanked him and handed him the pan of brownies that had previously been tossed into Mrs. Jones' hands, as her son made an escape. _'I'm so doomed sweet Jesus fuck.' _He tried to get the new image of Alfred out his head.

The adults fawned over each other for a few minutes before everyone was seated at the kitchen table with tea in their hands. "So Arthur, what are you doing these days?"

"I actually just finished my Bachelor of Music."

"Oh! How exciting!" Mrs. Jones squealed. "Alfred and Matthew are just going to start college this year, maybe you could show them around sometime." Arthur nodded and excused himself for a moment. He walked upstairs to grab his guitar case, he should really be going soon, he had rehearsal at five and it was already 4:30.

He walked back downstairs. "Well I have leave, but it was nice seeing you again Mr. and Mrs. Jones." He held out his hand and Mrs. Jones just got up and hugged him. Returning the hug but keeping it brief, then turning, he shook Mr. Jones' hand.

"I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other soon." Mrs. Jones clasped her hands together. Arthur smiled politely.

"I'll see you later this week, alright mum? Tell Peter I said hi." He kissed his mother on the cheek.

"Uh huh. You be careful alright now? OH!" She leaned in closer to his ear. "Also, tell Berwald that Tino from the library says hello." His mother whispered the last bit. She volunteered down at a local library near where Arthur used to go to college. Tino was a small Finnish man who owned the place, although he couldn't be more than 25. Arthur also started to tutor at the library to pass some time and gain a little extra cash.

He said his final goodbyes and walked out through the garage. Pulling the straps of his case on like a backpack he made sure his guitar was secured. Then shoving on his red helmet and firing up his bike he kicked the stand back and rolled out of the driveway.

'_Better get my mind off of Alfred or I might crash.' _Accelerating a bit faster than he intended down Winchmore Hill Road, he nearly ran over two civilians. Seeing a flash of blue eyes, he cursed himself. _'Fuck my life.'_ The images of strong legs and large hands just kept sticking to his brain. He tried to focus more on the road and where he was going rather than how absolutely attractive his best friend was now.

Driving into the more populated parts of London he pulled up behind a local pub. Parking his bike, he strolled in through a back door and weaved his way through empty stools and inventory. "Yo Brit, you're late! You totally put a cramp in my awesomeness!"

Arthur sighed and knew that this was going to be a long ass pratice if he didn't get Alfred off his mind; and fast. Hopefully the next time that they see each other they'll actually have a real conversation.

Maybe.

**I hope you guys are enjoying this. I have so much planned for this story just- EMENGHGHGHH. I promise there won't be _too_ much heartbreak, but a little won't hurt anybody ;) **

**Also, leave some reviews telling me what you think so far. I really hope there aren't too many errors in grammar or spelling. But I am writing this fairly quickly and I ain't makin no promises of updating everyday. **

**Thanks for reading. **


	3. Chapter 3: Get Out Of My Head

**CHAPTER THREE: Get Out Of My Head**

"Don't worry about it Arthur, Gilbert just wanted the chance to yell at someone instead of getting yelled _at_." Liz, their bass guitarist, said from the side of the stage. The small pub they performed at, _Antonio's, _was closed every Thursday for inventory and restocking. It was located a few blocks from the library and so college students that spent all day studying could come by for a drink or relaxation after they finished.

"Of course." Arthur snickered at Gilbert's glaring face. "Where's Roddy? Is he late too?" Looking around Arthur only saw 4/5th of their band.

_Sinners In Summer _was formed at the beginning of Arthur's sixth form. It consisted of Arthur, who played guitar. And then Gilbert who was the lead singer, but Arthur was currently trying to teach him guitar also; to be honest, he wasn't half bad at it. Gilbert was the heartthrob of the band believe it or not. His unusual albino appearance and cocky manner attracted most who laid eyes on him.

Next there was Berwald, who played the drums. At first glance (and second) Berwald could look very... _very _intimidating. But underneath the deadpan face there was a man who owned a small, adorable, fluffy white dog and who ran a daycare center for kids. The swede stands at six foot six and could easily bench press a car. His glasses hide his vibrant turquoise eyes from any onlooker.

Then finally, Liz (Elizabeta) and Roderich. They were the couple. With both of them growing up in the same house as kids it didn't take much for them to stay together **(A/N: More on that later)**. Everyone could tell that Liz wore the pants in the relationship but Roderich could persuade her to do anything (although others thought he didn't use it to his advantage enough.) Liz sang and strummed along on bass while Roderich did sound and keyboard.

Liz had her long brown hair in braids most days and she often wore sun dresses... most forget that she can totally kick your ass if you mess with her or someone she loves. But her foul language and constant threats are enough to keep some reminded.

All together they were known as_Sinners In Summer _(or _SIS_). When deciding on a band name, Gilbert thought he would try to be clever and combine all of their first initials into one word. He eventually ended up with _BADGER, _and for a solid ten days he was set on finding someone who's name started with a D. They all quickly rolled their eyes and said no.

"Oh you mean _Piano Pants_? Yeah, he mentioned that he'd be a little late." Gilbert said while sorting out some cables.

"... did he mention why?" Arthur set his guitar case down and unzipped the sides. In total Arthur owned three guitars. Two electric and one acoustic. The first guitar he ever owned was the acoustic one. Receiving it at the age 11, Arthur wasn't very excited. At the time he was only learning piano and had no interest in learning another instrument.

After a few encouragements from his parents he decided to just go for it. But all too soon the guitar had become his life. He loved it. Every time he would brush his fingers against the smooth metal of the strings he would feel complete, like nothing else in the world mattered.

"He's picking some stuff up for me, guys." Liz answered them. "He'll be here in like five minutes, calm your man tits." Gilbert and Arthur exchanged looks.

"Whatever." Arthur replied, continuing unpacking his guitar. He had swung by his parents house before rehearsal only to pick up his electric guitar, he had no knowledge of the Jones returning _today_. If he had known maybe he would've been prepared to exchange some syllables with Alfred.

He only used his nicer Union Jack designed guitar for performances, other than that he used a slightly more worn one. His father had been repairing the strings for him so he didn't have to use his pride and joy for their practice.

Seeing that Liz spoke the truth, Roderich show up roughly five minutes later and they began rehearsal. The music they typically played was a cross between Rock and Punk. But they have been known to play other genres like Pop, Electronic, and Instrumental. Mostly on popular nights at Antonio's they would play covers of songs, but sometimes they played their own music.

A couple run throughs of songs just to warm up they began working on their list of new hits to cover. Arthur was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on strumming the right notes as the thought of Alfred kept occurring. With a few questionable glares from Gilbert he zoned in on the beat that Berwald was giving them.

Declaring it was time for a break about 40 minutes later, Arthur sighed in relief. "You feelin okay, Arthur? I mean. You kinda sucked." Gilbert said before taking a gulp of his water.

"Yeah. Just a bit distracted I guess." Arthur picked at his nails. Gilbert didn't question it further. "Oh, Berwald." The swede looked up from his drum kit. "My mother told me to tell you that Tino says '_Hello.'_" Studying the way Berwald's face changed from emotionless to _slightly _emotionless, Arthur felt as if a little crush was blooming right before his eyes.

"_MERDA_!" Everyone jumped a little as the Italian curse word echoed through the pub. Arthur got up from his seat at a table and followed the source of the swear. Behind the bar Lovino Vargas-Fernández was crouched down and surrounded by bottles of liquor.

"Uhh, are you okay Lovino?" Arthur asked. The Italian man looked to be extremely frustrated.

"Just fucking screwed up the fucking numbers... _again_." Lovino was the co-owner of Antonio's and husband to _the _Antonio. If Arthur remembers the story right then Antonio's grandfather named the pub after him and then passed it down when he could no longer run the place himself. "I'm going to kick that Spaniard's ass for this." Lovino glared at the bottles. On the outside it may look like Lovino was always angry at Antonio, but only those who've known them long enough could see how much they love each other.

"You do that, then." Arthur nodded and walked back to the stage. After the break they worked for about another two hours then Gilbert called it quits. Since tomorrow was Friday the pub would be open later than usual. Everyone packed up, said goodbye then headed out. While Gilbert was harassing Roderich and Liz for a ride, Arthur was buckling his helmet.

Arthur's flat wasn't far, most of the time he would walk from Antonio's back home but he couldn't just leave his bike. He lived above a small cafe and was roommates with the owner. Finding a place close to just about everywhere Arthur needed to be was very hard. He made the sacrifice of his sanity just to be within five minutes of his destinations (His roommate was a little on the '_oh my god shut the fuck up' _side.)

Wrapping a scarf around his neck he started his bike. Even though it was the beginning August the wind was a bit nippy. Waving to his band members he drove to the main road and made the short trip back to his flat.

Parking next to _Café de Plaisir _he dug out his key from his jean pocket and entered the dark cafe. The jingle of bells as he opened the door filled the somewhat-silent atmosphere. The shop was closed for the night, but he could hear the slight rumble of the ovens in the back room. '_Looks like someone left the oven on.' _He thought to himself sarcastically. Making his way up the side stairs he walked through the apartment door and closed it behind himself.

"Bonjour, mon ami."

"Shut up, Frog."

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After saying goodbye to everyone and thanks for the tea Alfred and Matthew found themselves at their own apartment unpacking their share of the boxes. Matthew was talking but Alfred couldn't hear him over his own thoughts. '_I'm such an idiot. Seeing Arthur again wasn't supposed to go like this. He wasn't supposed to get all attractive and… and stuff.' _

"Alfie? Did you hear me?"

Alfred looked up to see Matthew staring at him. "Oh, sorry dude. What was that?" Matthew just looked at him with a blank expression and blinked a few times. "What?" Alfred asked.

"... Mon dieu..." He muttered under his breath in french. Matthew was born in Canada but his mother was french, and often spoke french. Knowing both french and english did come to it's advantage every now and then. "I never knew…" Matthew trailed off again.

"Never knew what?" Alfred was stacking their DVD's onto a shelf by the TV while Matthew was sorting out their silverware in the kitchen. The apartment was small, but it wasn't rundown or anything. It had two bedrooms and one bathroom. The kitchen was bigger than Alfred had expected (Mattie liked to cook, but he was still learning.) His brother picked out the apartment and all Alfred had to say about it was that he wanted his own room; other than that he couldn't care less.

"I mean I know you two were best friends before but… this just sounds too perfect." Matthew's face was blocked by a cupboard door but Alfred could tell from his tone that he was smirking.

"What are you talking about?" Pandora was on in the background at it was all too appropriately playing '_Somebody That I Used To Know_' by Gotye.

"Oh _come on_ Alfred." Matthew stacked some plastic cups and put them away. "Two best friends separated. They're reunited ten years later. Both of them quite flustered about how the other has grown up." Matthew sighed and stared into the distance. "I so ship this."

"Why are you boating things again? You're so weird." Alfred filed away the last DVD and stacked the now empty cardboard box with the countless others. "Listen Mattie, I know Arthur has… _changed._" Matthew shot him a knowing look. "And that he reacted the same way I did, or so you say. But that doesn't mean that he- well… that he is-"

"Gay?" Matthew smiled and watched as his brother trip over a box at his bluntness. Alfred's face went red with embarrassment and his brother giggled. "_But you didn't have to cUT ME OFF." _The radio hummed in the background.

"Shut up." Matthew shook as he bit his lip to keep another laugh from slipping out. He covered his mouth with his hand and turned his back to Alfred. "_StoOOoop_." Alfred whined. Looking back over his shoulder at Alfred's still beet-red face, a snort escaped his through his nose. "That's it." He grabbed his Canadian brother by the collar and drug him over to their living room.

Matthew grabbed his hand from his shirt and spun away from him. "You wanna go?" He taunted Alfred.

"Lets do it." They each slowly circled each other. Nothing was in the room at the moment, just a coffee table shoved in the corner and a beaten up sofa (Not to mention some empty boxes as well.) The bluetooth speaker began to play some unknown rock song that added faux tension to the moment.

Alfred dived for Matthew but he was took quick, Matthew dodged to his left and let Alfred fall to the ground. Getting on top of Alfred he straddled his back and slipped his arms underneath Alfred's. Pulling his arms back he easily got him in a headlock. "SAY YOU'RE GAY FOR ARTHUR!"

Alfred groaned and tried to find Matthew's hair with his hands. Feeling his brother's head he grabbed a handful of hair and pulled. Matthew's arms slipped ever so slightly and Alfred took the moment to get loose and flip them over. Pinning the Canadian to the ground he chuckled. "Neeever." Matthew glared. "I'll admit he's hot though." Flashes of Arthur began once again in his mind. "Like how his skinny jeans… and his hair is... but his eyes just..."

Matthew looked off into the distance like he was staring into the camera on The Office. His American brother's distraction gave him enough time to bring his knee up and jam it into his stomach. Doubling over Alfred rolled off of Matthew.

"If you don't ask him out by the end of next week I will…" He trailed off into his thoughts.

"HEhheehh." Alfred wheezed. "You can't even think of anything to do to me."

He watched as his brother got off the floor and slump into the couch cushions. "Oh I'll think of something, and you won't even see it coming." Alfred didn't like the way Matthew's voice went dark all of a sudden. Looking over he saw his brother's stuffed bear in the corner of the couch. He picked up the animal and threw it at him. "Whatever man. Good luck with that."

"I told you not to throw Kumajirou!" Matthew stroked the bear's head.

Alfred laughed at his brother. He would talk to Arthur later this week, but he no clue how he was going to get in contact with him. Maybe he would just happen to run into him somewhere. But that was unlikely.

Right?


	4. Chapter 4: Hot Librarian(s)

**CHAPTER 4: **_**Hot Librarian(s)**_

Alfred woke up to the smell of pancakes. '_God bless the Canadians'_ he thought. Looking over at his alarm clock it read 8:56am. His tired mind begged him to roll over and sleep for another two hours; but his stomach told him otherwise. Fighting the urge to fall back asleep, he climbed out of bed, reached for the shirt nearest to him and hastily shoved it over his head. Grabbing his glasses from the bedside table, he carefully slipped them on then walked to the kitchen.

Matthew was humming while flipping some pancakes at the stove. Alfred noticed his dressed up attire. His brother was dressed in dark grey dress pants and a light purple shirt that brought out the deepest parts of his violet eyes. His hair was tamed except for the single curl that _never _behaved. Alfred had the same in his hair, but it was more noticeable in the form of a cowlick. "Where are you going?" He asked, taking a plate from the cupboard.

"I have a job interview at 9:30." Matthew slid a stack of pancakes onto Alfred's plate. "It's this little cafe a couple blocks away." Leaning up against the counter, Alfred slathered his breakfast in butter and syrup. "Someone has to make sure we can live here." Alfred hummed through his mouthful of pancakes. '_I swear I'm going to weigh 300 pounds by January.' _Matthew always made the best food. So he isn't surprised by the thought of Mattie working in a cafe.

"Whuf's th place kald?" He asked, speaking through a mouthful of pancake.

After the glare Matthew gave him for talking with his mouth full he answered, "It's called _Café de Plaisir, _if I remember right."

Alfred practically choked on his breakfast. "Cafe of pleaSURE?! WHAT KIND OF PLACE ARE YOU APPLYING TO WORK AT MATTIE?"

Matthew kept a blank face throughout Alfred's spaz. "Al. It's just called that because of how good the food is… or so I've heard." He added the last part under his breath. That seemed to calm his brother for the most part. He was more surprised that Alfred knew what the french words meant. "Anyway, I don't know what time I'll be back, so you'll probably have to feed yourself." Alfred pouted and sighed while Matthew rolled his eyes. "I should probably go now, I have to walk there."

"Aight' bro. Don't get like- hit by a car or anything." Alfred shoveled another forkful of pancake into his mouth.

"I'll try not to. Since I made breakfast you can go right ahead and do the dishes." He smiled sweetly and grabbed his wallet and house keys from the counter. Hearing the high pitched whine from his brother, he smirked then walked out the door.

Mumbling about how he thinks that his brother purposely dirties more dishes just so Alfred has to clean them, he finished his breakfast. He glared at the pile of dishes that he had collected and deposited in the sink. Waving his hand at them he decided to do them later.

His plan for the day was to get back into the swing of things. London has changed quite a bit since he's left and he wanted to explore it a bit. Quickly changing into fresh pair of faded blue jeans and a shirt that didn't smell like ass, he grabbed a few other items with a jacket and was out the door in no time.

Today was typical, the sky shown a dull grey. Sometimes the sun would shine through the breaks in the mucky clouds and cast its bright light down. Alfred looked from building to building, analyzing if anything had possibly changed. Some stores were replaced totally and others just looked a tad different.

The people were the same too. Some smiled at Alfred as he passed, while others didn't even meet his curious glance. While walking along he saw a couple of motorcycles past, and that only reminded him of Arthur. '_How was he supposed to ask Arthur out if he didn't even know how to get in touch with him?' _The thought pierced through his mind for the hundredth time since last night.

He needed to think.

Alfred slowed his walk to see that he had no clue how he ended up on this side of town. Looking around he saw a small library. It looked quiet enough for him to ponder his gay thoughts. The bricks surrounding the single door entrance were a dark brown and looked fragile. A little '_OPEN' _sign on the door gave Alfred the all clear to enter.

Jaywalking across the street and getting honked at once, he trotted to the opposite side. Pulling the door open and having his eyes adjust to the darkness he felt the comfortable atmosphere wash over him. Dark mahogany bookshelves stretched along the floor and plush chairs and coffee tables were scattered everywhere.

Alfred walked through the long rows of books and looked around in awe at the sheer number of them. The soft noise of classical music was so soft, that the sound of a fly could've covered it up. The sudden noise of books tumbling behind Alfred snapped him out of his trance. "Voi ei."

Turning around he noticed a small man on his knees collecting books. Joining him and helping, the man noticed and laughed nervously. "Sorry, I'm just so clumsy." His Finnish accent clung to his words. He had a small, silver name tag on his shirt that read _Tino._

"It's no problem, I'm the same." Alfred smiled at him. Tino returned the smile and continued to stack the books. Tino had light blond hair and a young face. His Christmas sweater vest (It's August?) and black dress pants made him look even younger.

Taking a stack of the books, Alfred stood up. Tino looked up at him and gathered his own stack into his arms. "You don't need to help."

"Well if you dropped them in the first place then I don't want you to drop them again. Especially if I can help." Alfred gave a polite smile that made Tino blush.

"Okay then. Follow me." Tino turned to his left and Alfred followed. They walked along a back aisle that seemed to wrap around the perimeter of the library. This building was definitely bigger on the inside (if you catch my drift). "You can set them down here." Tino gestured to a table that was surrounded by chairs.

Alfred nodded and did as he was told. Looking around he noticed some desks paired with computers along the east wall of the library. This section of the library seemed reserved for studying. Large couches and tables set up for study groups littered the carpeted floor.

"Thank you so much! I never introduced myself, I'm Tino!" Tino held his hand out for Alfred as soon as he set his books next to Alfred's.

"I know, I read your name tag. I'm Alfred." He shook his hand and Tino's blush returned.

"Of course… I must seem so silly to you!" The Finnish man smiled again. "I think I'm going to go get something for you, stay here." He dropped his hand and suddenly disappeared behind a door before Alfred could refuse.

Alfred stood there, observing some more. There were two students with college textbooks in their grasp by a table in a corner. They seemed to be doing some early studying. '_Nerds.' _Abstract art was on display on the brown walls and Alfred made a mental note to bring Mattie in here some day.

A shuffle of feet behind him drew him from his thoughts and suddenly someone was tripping on a chair leg. On instinct Alfred reached out and caught them in his arms before they could hit the floor. What was even more of a surprise then someone falling into his arms, was that this wasn't just anyone. "Arthur?"

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Arthur was at the library today. He had to check out the same textbooks as some of the students he was going to tutor this semester. "Arthur-san." Behind him Kiku was helping him collect books onto a small cart.

"Yes, Kiku?" Arthur asked, a bit confused. Kiku only used _san _with him when he was trying to get his attention or being very serious. Kiku was probably one of Arthur's oldest friends. He was probably the one who got him through Alfred leaving him. They were there to lean on each other. Kiku helped Arthur out at the library when he wasn't tutoring his own students.

"Isn't that Alfred Jones? From primary school?" Arthur's heart jumped into his throat and turned his head. Standing in the doorway of the library was the ridiculously hot American. Alfred's torn blue jeans hung loosely on his slim hips and his hair seemed wind swept. His racer jacket was zipped up half way revealing a gray tee shirt that stretched for this wide shoulders.

Grabbing a fist full of Kiku, Arthur drug him behind a shelf full of books. "Holy shit." Arthur crouched down and removed a few books from a low shelf and peeked through the hole. He watched Alfred look around the tranquil library and then disappear into the wooden shelves.

"Arthur, why are we hiding?" Kiku asked, intrigued.

Arthur placed the books back and looked over at his Japanese friend. "Alfred. That's why."

"Annnnnd why is that?" Arthur slumped down so he was sitting on his butt. He leaned his head against the books behind him and sighed. Alfred hadn't left his thoughts since the incident back at his parents house. The American was all he thought about. Pouring his tea this morning he thought back to when he made Alfred try some for the first time and how he almost threw it up. Walking down to the library Arthur could've sworn he saw Alfred inside of a restaurant, having breakfast. Moment after moment the American plagued his mind.

"Because when your best friend comes back after ten years of abandonment and he's hotter than Zac Efron it's quite hard to face him without becoming immediately aroused."

"Oh."

Arthur mentally cursed himself. He finally admitted that Alfred was attractive out loud. If anything he should be denying it so he could move on from this and just be friends with Alfred again. Nothing more. Nothing less. He doesn't even know if Alfred would ever be interested in him. Even if it was in _that _way or just getting to know each other again. He had no clue. Somehow Kiku heard his thoughts.

"Hiding isn't going to do anything, Arthur. Come on. Let's finish our work." Kiku drew Arthur to stand on his slightly shaky legs. He pushed the metal cart down the back aisle and Arthur walked ahead of him. His fingers tugged on the hem of his shirt, nervously. For the library he dresses a bit more appropriately. Black skinny jeans with no holes, a plain black tee, and a Union Jack scarf wrapped around his neck.

For the record, Arthur's mind wasn't 100% in that moment as he walked past shelf after shelf. He just kept thinking about what he was going to say as soon as he grew the balls to talk to Alfred. Turning a corner to head to the Student Section he didn't see the misplaced chair in his path. Tripping on the chair he was doomed to fall face first onto the floor. But a pair of strong arms saved him. They wrapped around his waist and brought him near inches to the ground. Staring up into his savior's eyes he found a familiar sea of blue. "Arthur?" Alfred asked. "A- are you okay?"

Arthur couldn't breathe. Electricity flowed from Alfred's arms and down Arthur's spine, leaving goosebumps dancing on his skin. The American's arms were tight around Arthur's waist and he felt safe in them. His own arms landed wrapped around Alfred's neck, clutching the back of his jacket. A sudden heat overwhelmed them into one giant bubble of arousement. "Um… I- I can stand u- up now." He sputtered out, feeling his ears turn pink.

"OH." Alfred leaned them both back up and they each pulled their arms away. Arthur turned a blind eye to the fact that Alfred's fingertips brushed against his bare skin where his tee shirt had ridden up. _'His hands are so soft, fuck.' _He thought. Looking back up at Alfred's face he saw a dark red blush splayed across his cheeks.

"This is interesting." A Finnish accent broke the intense silence. Tino stood near by with a red sucker in his hands. Arthur turned away from the bright smile the Finn was sporting. "Here you go Alfred, for helping me." He handed over the candy.

"Th- thanks." Alfred's face was almost as red as the sweet (Arthur assumed the same could go for him.) Tino suppressed a giggle but it was quite obvious as he walked away. Somewhere in the process Kiku had also bailed, so it was just the two of them. "So… what brings you here?" Alfred placed the sucker in his jacket pocket.

Arthur cursed himself once again. '_He spoke first while I just stared. God. I'm such whimp.' _"I tutor here actually."

Alfred's eyes lit up. "Really? Cool. What for? I mean. I heard you already have your bachelors. How's that possible anyway? We're practically the same age and I'm just a freshman. You're mom told me by the way. About your bachelors. I haven't been like, stalking you since yesterday to find out more about you. I mean. I did want to find you eventually and talk, but I had no clue you'd be here-"

Arthur's blushing face disappeared and a grinning one took it's place. He choked back a chuckle as he listened to Alfred babble on. Once Alfred saw Arthur's smiling face he fell silent, then he could tell that Alfred's brain kicked in and he figured out why Arthur was beaming at him.

"S- sorry. I do that sometimes when I'm nervous." He scratched the back of his neck.

Arthur decided to test his luck. "Do I make you nervous, Alfred?" He prompted and he watched as Alfred's face grew even redder. Mission accomplished. "I'm just kidding. How about we talk over a coffee at my place?" The words tumbled from his mouth before his mind could process what he just said. '_What if Alfred didn't exactly swing that way? And if he did would he ever be interested in someone like me? God, I'm just a big pile of self-doubt today.'_

But when Alfred's face changed from embarrassed to almost gleeful Arthur had to refrain from jumping with joy. "Sure, I'd like that."

'_Did I just ask Alfred out for coffee? Did he just agree? Holy fuck-buckets.' _Arthur smiled up at that dork-face and gestured him to follow. They walked to the front desk and Arthur signed out in a little book. "Ciao! Are you leaving Artie? Should I file your books for you and Kiku?" A cheerful Italian asked from behind the desk. His hair was ginger and it had a single curl cascading down from the side, and his eyes were wide with happiness.

"That'd be great Feliciano. Thank you." Feliciano responded with a smile that squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. Arthur turned to Alfred, "Come on." He grabbed his black leather jacket from a coat rack by the door and pushed it on. He also grabbed his helmet from the bottom of the rack and gripped it tightly in his maybe-sweaty-hands. The weather wasn't any better than earlier this morning.

"Is it always like this now?" Alfred asked.

"What?"

"The weather."

Arthur snorted. "You're asking about the weather? In London?" Alfred shrugged. "Well, I suppose the climate did change a bit since you've been absent. Sometimes it's beautiful. Sunny skies. Birds chirping. But… about five out of the seven days of the week it's like this. Grey sky. Brisk wind. Sometimes a light drizzle." Alfred nodded and looked down at his sneakers as they walked.

The silence was comfortable, surprisingly. More than a few times Arthur had to step slightly to his left to let a stranger pass by, which caused him to brush shoulders with the American more than once. Each time Arthur mumbled out an apology that was quieter than the last. Trying to keep his gaze off of Alfred became increasingly more and more difficult, because each time he would glance up at him... he'd always find Alfred looking right back (which caused the hue on each of their faces to intensify as the each realized what the other was doing.) _'Was he looking at my lips? I could've sworn he was... does that mean... no. He was probably just looking at my piercings. I do have quite a few.'_

They continued to walk down the street to where Arthur's bike was parked, then Arthur remembered. "Shit."

"Hmm?" Alfred hummed, observing the Englishman's face.

"I just forgot. My roommate is interviewing someone today, and he usually takes a while to get... _acquainted_ with them." Third time today Arthur cursed himself. At this rate he's going to not want to get out of bed in the morning for fear of what he might do. First he had to practically throwing himself into Alfred's arms at the library, and now not being able to go where Arthur had offered to take him. _'Jesus Hell. Help me.'_

"No problem, man. We can go to my place." Alfred smiled.

"Really? Are you sure it's no trouble? We could reschedule." Arthur was giving Alfred an out incase he was just being polite.

"None at all. But, it's kinda a far walk." Alfred looked around to see where they are.

"Where's your apartment exactly?" Alfred gave him the street address and number. "I know where that is." Thankfully a friend of Arthur's lived in the same apartment building. The Brit took a few steps towards his bike and took out an extra helmet from the back case he kept on his seat. He held it out for Alfred who frowned slightly and started to shuffle his feet. "Something the matter?"

"No. I just… I've never ridden on of these before." He gestured the vehicle. Arthur could read the uncertainty on (his best friend's?) Alfred's face. His blue eyes seemed to find the sidewalk very interesting. Arthur dropped his extended arm down to his side, still holding the helmet.

"Remember when we used to ride our bikes to Grovelands Park?"

Alfred's head lifted and their eyes met as he laughed though his nose. "You remember that?" For once Arthur couldn't read the expression Alfred's face. It was a cross between disbelief and something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Of course I do, you twit." The old nickname slipped out of his lips before he realized that Alfred might take offense to it now. "Well it's kinda like that, but faster… and your legs don't get tired." He held the extra helmet out once again and Alfred took it in his hands. Arthur smiled and pulled on his own helmet. While Arthur zipped up his jacket Alfred was struggling with the helmet. Arthur's own helmet covered up his laugh but he walked over to Alfred to assist. He raised his visor. "I see you're still on the struggle bus. Let me help you."

Alfred let his arms hang limp by his sides and Arthur laughed again. It seems as if Alfred hadn't lost all of his childish traits. Arthur first untangled the head strap and the properly buckled it. His fingers came into contact with Alfred's neck and he saw the other physically shiver. '_Maybe it was just from the cold.' _He thought to himself.

Forcefully slapping Alfred's visor down he laughed to himself once again as he watched him jump in surprise. Straddling the bike he turned it on **(A/N: It wasn't the only thing that he turned on heheheh... I'm in the fifth grade omf help) **and patted the seat behind him. Alfred slowly got on behind him and Arthur could see the mental struggle as he tried to decide where to put his arms.

Arthur reached behind him and brought Alfred arms around him (he hoped that he couldn't feel his pounding heart though his jacket.) "Hold on." Arthur heard Alfred mutter something back but he just closed his own visor and kicked the bike into gear. The rumble of the engine became louder as Arthur pulled out into the road.

He felt Alfred's arms tighten around him as he accelerated. Smirking under the helmet he made quick turns around the city and passed every car that had suddenly became too low for Arthur's liking. Alfred pointing somewhere finally came into Arthur's view and he knew what he meant.

Arthur pulled to the side of the road. They both dismounted and Arthur took Alfred's helmet from him as soon as he got it off. "You're insane."

"Hmm. Just a bit." Arthur smiled cheekily.

Alfred shook his head but smiled. Arthur followed Alfred into the apartment building and up several flights of stairs. Digging a key from his blue jeans Alfred unlocked the flat he shared with his brother. There were boxes everywhere, and they seemed empty for the most part. The walls were a light yellow and seemed to glow with happiness in the rare sun that was shining through the windows. Alfred offered tea and Arthur gladly accepted. Leaving Arthur Alfred walked into the apartment and (what Arthur assumed was) the kitchen. Not deciding to follow him Alfred called from the kitchen saying he was free to wander around if he'd like.

Already letting his curiosity get a hold of him he slowly made his way around the small apartment. Their living room was nicely furnished (for college students.) A large sofa sat opposite of a television with an xbox and a mountain of games nestled beneath it. A coffee table was set between the tv and the sofa and had boxes that were still taped shut on top. Walking past the sofa Arthur followed a long hallway that had a total of four doors (two on each side.) Not wanting to be snoopy Arthur decided to backtrack and return to the kitchen/dining room.

They sat at the kitchen counter on stools and snacked on leftover pancakes that Matthew had apparently made that morning. "So..." Alfred began. "Through all of my rambling did you catch any of my questions?" Arthur chuckled and took a sip of his hot tea before answering, wanting to let the warm liquid calm him down before he answered. But then the beverage did the exact opposite and Arthur froze as soon as he swallowed. _'… lemon? He... he remembered how I liked my tea?' _Just as his senses were shutting down he felt something warm on his arm. Looking down he saw Alfred's hand gently squeezing his bicep. "... Are you alright?"

Nodding quickly Arthur answered, "Y-yes just... good tea." Alfred made an 'o' with his mouth and was about to reply when Arthur jumped right over his words. "Well I tutor at the library for lit students and I got my bachelors early on because I accelerated in school quite fast, so they put me in this special program that placed me in college early." The words flowed from his mouth without pause and somewhere mid-explanation Alfred's hand slipped from his body.

"Gee, you must be pretty smart then. I wish I could've do that." Alfred rested his head in his hand.

Arthur smiled and a light blush dusted his face. "I wouldn't say that. But…" He trailed off into his thoughts. Arthur remembered his sixth form and college days. He accelerated so fast because he barely had any friends. Besides Kiku there was really nobody. He spent days in his college dorm studying or sleeping. Then one day he met Gilbert and his world has upside down ever since.

Arthur looked down and searched for something to do with his hands. "So I finished college about a year before our class even started." He grabbed the now empty plate that held the pancakes and brought it to the sink. He stared at the pile of dishes then turned back around. "Don't you do your dishes?"

Alfred laughed and it was the sweetest music Arthur had ever heard in his life. He wanted to record it and study it so he could replicate the sound into notes so the whole world could hear it. The American scratched his nape. "Well, Mattie always makes breakfast and he leaves me with the dishes- what are you doing?" He asked as he watch Arthur take off his jacket and scarf and lay them over a box that was sitting on the counter.

"We're going to do dishes. I can't stand to look at dirty plates knowing that they could easily be washed." Turning back to the sink he twisted the faucet and waited for the water to get hot. Not hearing a response he turned to Alfred. He was beaming at him. "What?"

"Somethings never change, I see." He laughed and walked up beside Arthur. "How about you wash and I'll rinse and dry?"

"Sounds good." Once the water was warm he plugged the drain and added some dish soap that was close by. Once satisfied with the first pan he handed it over and Alfred started speaking again.

"So you play guitar." Arthur paused and thought. How Alfred posed the sentence wasn't in a question form, he was just stating it. Then he remembered about yesterday and how he almost ran over him and his brother.

"... Yes. I do. And sorry about yesterday. With my bike. I... I didn't realized it was you two." Alfred shrugged and rinsed the pan.

"It's no problem. And hey," Arthur turned his head at his pause to find Alfred's face very close to his all of a sudden. And the bloody American wasn't even pulling back! "maybe you could teach me sometime." The look in his eye was anything but innocent when he pulled back and turned back to the dishes in front of him.

_'What just happened. Was he flirting. Does he normally act like that. Jesus, I feel like my face is on fire oh my god... well. Two can play that game.' _After another plate and watching Alfred smirk like a total twat, Arthur bumped his hip into Alfred's and maybe ground a little as he felt the other's hip bone and sighed. "Well I am a _great _teacher." His words had a sultry aftertaste in his mouth and the way Alfred's eyes went wide he'd say he won this little game.

Somehow the noise of the running water and clanking pans was enough for them after Arthur's remark. The silence wasn't awkward… but it was filled with something else. Their innocent little flirting match awakened something in both of them. Every time their hands would casually brush against each other one or the other would gasp. Arthur felt the electricity he felt back in the library and it sent tingles up his spine.

He suddenly craved it. He needed it.

Arthur handed over one of the last plates and Alfred took it from him, their fingers overlapping. They locked eyes. They held their breath. And without Arthur noticing, Alfred slipped his hand into the sink with suds and gathered some in his hand.

"Boop." Alfred pushed some of the soapy suds onto Arthur's nose.

Arthur's mouth hung open as Alfred started laughing, uncontrollably and dropped the spare plate back in the sink. "Oh no you didn't…" Arthur took some of the suds and flicked them in Alfred's face. It made him look like he had a mustache. As soon as Alfred's laughter stopped Arthur's began. Soon they were at war. It was like they were six again. Maybe they can make up for the moments they missed together with... now. But Arthur's uncertainty about Alfred wanting to be friends again stood in his way of fully showing himself so to speak.

About ten minutes of playful bubble war and five minutes of cleaning it all up, Arthur noticed the time. "Shit shit shit." He ran over to the counter where his jacket and scarf were.

"What's the matter?" Alfred's eyes were worried.

"Nothing, I just have to be somewhere. Sorry. I have to go." His band had a show tonight and it was also Friday, which equaled a long and busy night. He still had to go home and change and shower. "I had a great time with you today Alfred, even if it was unexpected." As soon as his jacket was on and scarf tied around his neck he walked up to the American.

Looking into his baby blue eyes that had slight disappointment made his heart squeeze. Arthur stood on his toes to wrap his arms around Alfred and embrace him in a hug. He felt Alfred snake his arms around his waist and they both shivered at the contact. He wished he could stay like that forever, wrapped in Alfred's arms. He felt so secure and _warm_. But the thought of Gilbert chewing his ass out was enough motivation to separate. Pulling away his brain calculated all of the events that happened in the past 3 hours and he decided to take the risk. He pecked Alfred's cheek quickly and turned on his heel, practically running for the door.

Closing it behind himself he was able to breathe again. He stood still on the other side of the door. "Oh my god…" Arthur rested the back of his head on the wood to catch his breath. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins.

He just made either the best or worst decision of his life.

§~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~§

Alfred's fingertips brushed his cheek where only moments ago Arthur's lips were. He watched as he disappeared from his vision. Jogging to the door, he tried to catch it before it closed but he was too late. Arthur was gone.

"Oh my god..." Alfred leaned his forehead against the grain of the door. His heart was pounding like it's never have before. He was scared that it might stop. Arthur Kirkland just kissed him. Sure it was just a little peck on the cheek but... that wasn't something ex-best friends do when they're trying to start their friendship over. That was something someone did to start a new... _relationship_. And did Alfred want that? He got his answer as soon as he heard the sound of Arthur's motorcycle. _'Fuck.' _He flung open the door and ran down the stairs. Just catching the motorcycle's exhaust, he watched as Arthur's bike rode off into the distance.

Alfred swore through his pants. "What was that now?" He turned around to see Matthew standing with another man who he did not know. He had longish blond hair and a bit of chin hair. Matthew's hands were stuffed in his dress pants and his eyes glowed.

"matTIE." Alfred's voice unexpectedly jumped three octaves. "Who's that?"

"Je m'appelle Francis Bonnefoy. I am Matthieu's new boss." The man's French accent was thick, but not enough to not understand the english.

"yoU GOT thE jOB!"

"Yeah, I did. And Francis is offering to take us out for drinks tonight. I expect that it'll be quite fun." Matthew smiled at his brother and his lips fell ever so slightly. "What's wrong with you?"

"mE? Oh… n- nothing."

All three of them walked back to their apartment and Mattie changed his clothes while Francis and Alfred chatted. By the time Mattie was ready Alfred already accepted Francis for being an okay guy. But he wasn't exactly jumping at the opportunity to be the guy's friend. They locked up their flat and walked down the street to a pub named _Antonio's. _"I am friends with the owner, and there's a band that plays regularly. Their lead singer is also a friend, all three of us were buddies in school." Francis explained.

There was noise coming from outside of Antonio's and Alfred assumed that was the band. As they walked in and they had apparently just finished a song. Alfred saw a flash of a stage just as the lights in the place turned off. People cheered and waited for more.

Only moments later the fast cords of an electric guitar played Green Day's, _American Idiot. _The lights flashed on again and it took a few seconds for Alfred's eyes to adjust. There were five band members and his eyes drew towards the one playing the electric guitar.

It was Arthur.

"_Don't wanna be an American Idiot!"_


End file.
